Author's Note

Okay, so my family is going to probably string me up in effigy for Old Man 2020 if I don't stop to make dinner soon. So, in order that I might survive their ravenous stares, I'll leave this here for now, and give you the last chapter in a bit. Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging.

Again, not my mobats, not my apocalypse.

Cheers,

White Rabbit

Chapter Twenty One

DG's eyes fluttered open to the muffled sounds of birds chirping outside, and she looked around, not knowing where she was. At first inspection, she was certain that she was lying in a bed just large enough for herself, and it sat among a row of other similar beds in a large, open room. The entire scene seemed to have been dropped from some world war two period movie, except the entire room was awash in soft white light, and the entire place seemed to gleam like a gem in the light. The long, white room appeared to be a wing of a hospital, and she seemed to be the only patient, save a small child in the bed adjoining hers, and she turned to inspect the child passively, curious how they'd ended up there together. DG thought that the little girl couldn't be any older than eight annuals old, and her curly golden hair was splayed out on the pillow as she breathed deeply. Both she and DG were wearing white cotton gowns, but unlike hospital gowns, they felt soft and warm, like a favorite pair of pajamas.

The girl's eyes opened as if she sensed herself being watched, and she sat up suddenly, looking around in a fashion similar to DG. When her crystalline blue eyes settled on DG's, a wide, warm smile settled on her face and she relaxed. DG could not help the smile that crept up on her own face, and she sensed that she had met the girl before. The girl slid out of her bed and tip toed over to DG's and clambered up on the bed next to her as if they were old friends. DG pulled the light blanket over the girl's lap instinctively, feeling strongly that she did not want the chill in the air around them to make her unduly cool.

The girl smiled contentedly at DG and introduced herself while sticking her hand out cordially, "Hi DG, I'm Elizabeth, but you can call me Lizzie."

DG took the girl's hand, and Lizzie shook DG's in a serious manner that brought an amused smirk to the Princess's face. DG marveled at the young girl, finding amusement in her manner while her curiosity continued to grow. The small girl seemed to know so much, and DG so little. She took a guess that Lizzie might be able to tell her something of use, so she asked tentatively, "Where are we? What are we doing here?"

Lizzie looked around the room in a passive manner and replied though a bored sigh, "Oh, I don't know. I guess we're just waiting."

DG was growing uneasy, never really liking hospitals. The state of their surroundings made DG suspicious though – this wasn't like any other hospital she had been in before. DG's stomach gave a sudden lurch when she remembered collapsing after her battle with Roquat and she squeaked out, "We're not dead, are we?"

Lizzie giggled and shook her head emphatically, "No! You're very much alive Dorothy, just dreaming."

DG's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she eyed the little girl as she asked, "Hey, wait a minute. If I'm dreaming, what are you doing here?"

Lizzie chewed on her lip while she toyed with her hands, and looking up nervously, she answered, "The strain on our bodies when you fought Roquat was a lot to process, mother."

DG's eyes widened and she shook her head in disbelief as she lightly touched her abdomen, "No, I'm not. I can't."

Lizzie sat patiently as DG put everything together, a blush rising quickly on her face. Finally, DG stopped and studied the little girl again. Lizzie was chewing on her lip again, nervously waiting for DG, and DG quickly processed just how like herself the young girl suddenly seemed when she appeared nervous. DG's chest swelled, and she whimpered as she pulled the little girl into her arms. Hot tears were streaming down her face and she released Lizzie so she could wipe them away.

DG looked down on the girl, suddenly worried for her, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

DG examined Lizzie, buzzing nervously about her wellbeing. Lizzie giggled when DG raised her arms, inadvertently tickling her. "I'm fine mom!" She whined as she stifled a belly laugh. When she caught her breath, she continued, "and before you ask, I won't remember this after I'm born. You could call it a perk of being human. I may be magical, but I'm still limited by my body sort of. I'm just glad that I got to see you again before I forget everything again."

Lizzie exhaled in relief and smiled at DG until she realized that she had given something important away. She clapped her hand to her head and huffed at herself.

"Hey, wait a minute, again?" DG exclaimed, pointing at the girl, "Ozma!"

Lizzie nodded heavily and answered, "Yes, but I couldn't tell you before. There was too great a chance that you wouldn't do what needed to be done. That's why I appeared to you the way I did. Once I'm born, I won't be too much different from any other little girl, except that I'm me of course, and yours."

Lizzie and DG smiled at each other, blushing at the personal nature of their conversation. DG toyed with her hands now, feeling the weight of motherhood pressing down on her. If this wasn't bad enough, now she had to contend with the notion of not only being a mother but raising a reincarnated goddess as well. DG became lost in her worries and chewed on her lower lip anxiously.

Lizzie's small hand slid into hers and she squeezed it gently. DG's eyes settled on her daughter's and Lizzie whispered, "You're going to be a great mom. Don't ever doubt yourself." DG sighed, feeling the weight lift off her chest, and she hugged Lizzie tightly again. With a small kiss on the cheek, Lizzie muttered into her mother's hair, "I love you mom."

DG was crying in full force now and fought to keep the tears from obstructing her vision. She smiled weakly at her daughter and replied, "I love you too, Lizzie." Suddenly though, DG's heart dropped, and she exclaimed breathlessly, "Oh, Wyatt! Do you know what happened to him? I passed out before – "

Lizzie smiled and placed her small hands on DG's shoulders as she replied assuredly, "He's fine mom, but you should probably go to him now, he's been very worried." DG nodded and exhaled loudly as Lizzie began shaking her shoulders lightly. She commanded in a quiet voice, "It's time to wake up now."

DG agreed and shut her eyes. When she opened them again, she stared at the ceiling of her bedroom, inhaling slowly and deeply. Wyatt, who had been dozing off in the chair across the room tip toed forward and knelt by the bed, taking her delicate hand in his. DG looked down at him and smiled weakly.

"Hey there Princess," he whispered, smiling warmly at her and leaning down to kiss her knuckles.

DG leaned over and placed her other hand on his head, kissing it as she ran her fingers through the freshly cut blonde hair. "Wyatt," she mumbled sleepily, "how long have I been asleep?"

Wyatt looked back up, happy tears were in his eyes, and a smile wavered on his face. He stood so that he could sit next to her, and with a shaky voice, he replied, "A few days now. I brought you here with this."

Wyatt held out the belt, which he tossed heavily on the edge of the bed. DG only glanced at it before her eyes turned back to Wyatt's. She could still see a small amount of fear there, and it made her ache.

"Oh Wyatt, I'm sorry. I just couldn't let you face that alone. Please don't be mad." DG pleaded.

Wyatt's eyes twinkled and his smile widened as he replied, "Deeg, I can't be mad at you. I was just scared that I'd lose you, both of you."

His hand rested gently on DG's abdomen as he spoke, and he inhaled deeply when her own hands rested over his. DG blushed, and her eyes fixed him with a steady look as she spoke quietly, "Well, we're fine now that you're home. Don't ever do that again."

Wyatt let out a strangled cry as he fought the tears that threatened him while he touched his wife, imagining the child growing inside of her, and the danger they had endured to bring him home. He nodded as his eyes shut the tears out, finding surprise in the small hands that had grasped his face. Wyatt opened his eyes again to look into DG's, finding that she had sat up, and held his face to hers, and once his eyes had opened, she pulled him into a gentle kiss.

The kiss turned into a deep hug, and Wyatt held her tightly, still afraid that she would somehow disappear. In that moment, he made a silent promise to never to put himself at risk like that again. He had another chance to raise his children, and a young wife to keep out of trouble. It was a different kind of adventure, and he smiled at the prospect of it, knowing that with DG, nothing would ever be dull. Wyatt was shaken out of his thoughts by a small knock on the door, and he separated from DG momentarily to address the sound.

Gates peaked into the room, and Wyatt and DG beckoned him forward, both grinning widely. Gates seemed almost relieved as he laid eyes on his mistress and spoke softly as he approached, "Milady, I'm relieved to see you awake." A smile formed as he spoke, eliciting a bashful smile from DG in return. Then, withdrawing an envelope from his pocket, he handed it to Wyatt as he continued with a light cough, "This came for you Sir."

Wyatt straightened his face and nodded at the Captain, and replied in an oddly formal tone, "Thank you Gates."

Gates turned and turned to go, gliding out of the room just as silently as he had entered, pulling the door closed discretely as he exited. Only when he'd left did Wyatt turn his attention back down to the envelope in his hands. The envelope itself was of a nondescript nature, being plain and white, with no return address indicated anywhere to clue the recipient in on the nature of the sender. The address on the front of the envelope was neat and small, and addressed simply to "Sir Wyatt Ulysses Cain."

DG's inquisitiveness didn't seem to be deterred by her grogginess, and she inched closer to Wyatt, leaning on his shoulder so she could get a better look at the envelope in his hand. "What is it?" She asked, peering over his shoulder.

Wyatt turned around so that DG would not have to climb his shoulder any longer and answered in a pensive mutter as he opened it, "I don't know Deeg." When he pulled out what appeared to be a formal government missive, he became even more curious, not having received any since retiring as the Captain of the Guard, and never receiving one in his personal capacity as His Royal Highness. The letter appeared to be from the Royal Archives, and it read:

Your Royal Highness,

To those of us serving in the Royal Archives, we greatly appreciate your recent repatriations to the collection. You do us a great honor by returning the Emerald of the Eclipse and the Compass to us, ensuring their safety for future generations.

In light of this and other recent events, the Curator of the Collection requests an early audience with Your Royal Highness and Princess Dorothy in one week's time. If this is acceptable, please respond in the fashion previously established in our other communications.

With Warmest Regards,

Artemis Saul

Chief Curator

Wyatt handed the letter to DG and smirked, "Well, I guess we've been summoned."

DG quickly read the letter, but without any point of reference, she frowned and asked, "Am I missing something Wyatt? Why wasn't I invited to this repatriation?" Wyatt let out a loud breath through his teeth and stood from the bed, crossing quickly to the table in the sitting area, where a lamp had been placed while DG had been asleep. Wyatt moved to turn the lamp on, and then walked back to the bed. DG's frown deepened and she continued quizzically, "and why do we need another light on? Isn't it light enough in here?"

Wyatt could not help but smile on his wife and reply cryptically, "You'll know soon enough Princess."

DG's mouth puckered with Wyatt's unsatisfactory answer, but she remained silent, being more content to be safe and at home with Wyatt than know all of his secrets. Besides, she reasoned, he promised that she would have all of the answers soon enough. DG contented herself with this knowledge, and by the time the appointed audience drew close, she was positively beside herself for a riposte to the puzzle.

The Curator's message had only requested an "early" audience, so without knowing the exact time of the appointed hour, DG bounded out of bed even earlier than Wyatt on the day of the meeting. Wyatt seemed to find humor in DG's bustling, and positioned himself in one of the deep armchairs, coffee in hand, so he could watch the show. His reluctance to change out of his pajama pants and t-shirt coupled with his overall nonchalant manner incensed DG, and as she stood in the door of her dressing room still in her night gown, she fumed silently at him.

"What?" Wyatt laughed defensively.

DG threw her hands up in exasperation and scoffed, turning quickly to stomp back into her dressing room. After a moment, she reappeared, dressed in a brown suede pencil skirt and deep blue blouse. Before she finally gave Wyatt the response he was looking for, she deposited herself in his lap and scolded him, "Aren't you going to get dressed? He could be here any time!"

Wyatt chuckled, but straightened his expression quickly, seeing that DG's face wore a mask of seriousness that he could not wipe away with even his brightest smile, "Deeg, I'm sorry, but had it occurred to you to ask me about the Curator? I might have told you a thing or two."

Wyatt leaned forward while gently pulling DG's chin down to meet him and placed a gentle kiss on her pouted lips. DG's stormy appearance seemed to melt away in the face of such tenderness, and a smile crept up on her face as she gave in to Wyatt's kiss. She had just began to settle in to their quiet necking when there was a gentle knock on the door, pulling DG and Wyatt out of their affections.

DG looked up from her perch to see Gates peak through and, seeing the Princess and her Consort so personally engaged, averted his eyes. Although accustomed at this point to their frequent shows of affection, Gate was too much of a professional not to offer his lady her utmost privacy, and while he looked away, he coughed before announcing polietly, "Ma'am, Sir. Your visitor has arrived downstairs. Shall I have him shown into your sitting room, or would you like to speak with him elsewhere?"

"We'll see him in our sitting room, Gates. Thank you," Wyatt replied quickly, wanting to beat DG to the punch.

DG's mouth hung open, as she had intended to ask Gates to show the Curator to the library or somewhere equally public. When Wyatt spoke for her, she was surprised by his choice of venue, and eyed him suspiciously. When Gates disappeared behind the door, DG's eyes narrowed and she returned to her previous grumbling, "I really hope you're going to fill me in soon. I hate being in the dark."

Wyatt chuckled again and pushed DG from his lap, rising as she stepped away. Wyatt ignored her continued attempts to gain his attention and walked leisurely across their sitting room to his office. DG was beyond exasperated now and turned instead to pouring herself a cup of coffee while Wyatt disappeared into his own dressing room. When he reappeared, he was suitably dressed, DG thought, in grey suit pants with a well-tailored dress shirt and vest, but had decided to forego wearing a tie, and the topmost buttons of his shirt were left open in a casual manner. DG could not help thinking that this curator, while important, must be someone familiar to Wyatt, but she could not understand his reluctance to divulge anything to her, and she continued to frown at him as he crossed to sit with her on the couch.

When Wyatt had settled onto the couch with her, DG realized that he'd brought the belt of Roquat with him, and he deposited it carelessly on the table in front of them when he sat, as if it was a nuisance he was ready to be rid of. DG was just about to make a comment about the belt when Artemis Saul arrived, looking somewhat contrite in response to the pointed stare of the Tin Man beside her.

Wyatt rose quickly from his seat, and strode forward with his hands outstretched. His eyebrow was arched almost skeptically as he neared the man, but the rouse faded immediately as they met, and Wyatt chuckled when he took the man's hand in greeting. As he greeted the man with a friendly handshake, he beamed happily, "Artie, good to see you! Come in!"

"Good to see you too, Seeker. I heard you had quite an adventure after I saw you last," Artie replied, giving Wyatt a knowing wink, and he added in a low voice for Wyatt's benefit, "I apologize for leaving you, Wyatt. You understand."

Wyatt nodded while a smile still brightly lit his face, and as he began to walk Artie back towards the sitting area, there attention quickly turned to the woman left standing lamely by. DG looked uncertain as to her position in this meeting, and she chewed on her lip whilst the two men spoke in near confidence. Artie recognized this uncertainty immediately, and put DG at ease right away by addressing her now directly.

"Your Highness," Artie spoke kindly as he stooped to kiss her hand politely, "Pictures of you do you no justice. You remind me of a young Jackie-O, and I hear you're quite the mechanic, like a certain British Monarch. Jane of all trades as it were."

Wyatt did not know what Artie was referring to, but whoever he had compared DG to seemed to compliment her, and she blushed heavily at his praise. A warm smile flushed her features and her tone was equally so when she replied, gesturing to the couch, "Oh, you're just saying that, but please, sit." Artie chuckled and gladly sat on the couch, being joined shortly by DG, who was quick to make the man comfortable, "Wyatt and I don't stand too much on court traditions, so we don't have any tea, but would you like some coffee?"

"Oh," Artie rumbled, "that would be wonderful. I haven't had a good cup of coffee for a long time."

DG grinned and began to arrange a cup for the man, smiling happily all the while. When she placed the cup in front of Artie, he quickly claimed it and inhaled the aroma before taking a tempting sip. When a contented hum escaped him, DG giggled and replied, "My father had the beans brought over from the Otherside. I hope you like it."

Artie was still rapt and replied deeply, "Oh, chicory. Nothing like it here. Thank you, Your Highness."

Wyatt had sat in relative quiet across from DG and Artie during this interaction, legs crossed and face leaning against his hand, a smile on his face. He'd known that DG would enjoy meeting another person that had spent time on the Otherside, so he had stepped back to allow their meeting to take its own natural course. He knew, though, that DG would quickly dominate Artie's attentions, so once Artie and DG had both delved into the drinks, Wyatt cleared his throat and sat up.

"So Artie," Wyatt prompted the Curator, who sat his drink down in anticipation, "I assume that you'd like the belt back."

When Wyatt spoke, he gestured to the belt sitting close by Artie's drink, drawing the man's attention. A look of recognition dawned on Artie's face suddenly, and his carpet bag quickly appeared from his side. "Oh, yes. Thank you." Artie exclaimed, placing the belt back in the bag, "Can't have such a dangerous item floating about."

DG's curiosity had found its way back to the forefront, and she inquired sweetly, "Artie, what do the Archives do exactly?"

Artie pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and eyed the young woman as a hawk might eye a mouse, "We find, catalog, and protect magical artifacts as well as the history of the Royal Family of the OZ."

Recognition was dawning on DG's face and she replied, "Oh, so it must have started with Ozma, right?"

Artie smiled with satisfaction and replied, "I see you've been doing your homework, Your Highness. Yes, the first curator was chosen by Ozma the Great, and she is responsible for the enchantments that keep the Archives hidden."

"Oh," DG replied, pensive frown on her face as she continued with a somewhat guilty expression, "So, what if I told you that I know where there are more artifacts?"

Artie seemed to be expecting this from the impish Princess and replied off-handedly, "Oh? More artifacts? Where?"

"Next door," Wyatt responded in a low voice before DG could speak. The two exchanged a meaningful glance before Artie intruded, looking to them both over the top of his glasses.

"Well," Artie sighed as he slapped his knees and stood up, "If you'll excuse me for a moment." He crossed to Wyatt's office, and disappeared behind the door. After a brief pause, he reappeared with the picture frame in hand.

"Oh, this is very interesting," Artie murmured, continuing, "Show me Finaqua." The picture swirled and did as was asked, showing the pristine lakes, flanked by trees blowing pleasantly in the breeze. When the picture swirled back to black, Artie laughed and leaned back on the couch. When he had recovered from his giddy laughter, he sighed and spoke thoughtfully, "Ah, you two would make great field agents, you know that? I haven't seen a pair with such a good retrieval rate since I was on the Otherside last."

"Well I think we're going to be a bit busy for a little while," DG grinned, patting her stomach.

Artie's mouth went into a silent "oh" and he replied, "Ah yes, well, let me know if you ever change your minds."

When Artie spoke, he rose from his seat, intent on kissing DG's hand again before leaving. Wyatt and DG also stood, sensing that the visit was quickly coming to an end, so before Artie could move another step, DG stopped him, a look of recognition dawning on her face, "Wait," She exclaimed, "Don't go anywhere yet."

DG's eyes met Wyatt's for just a moment before she darted into the bedroom, and Wyatt suspected that she was up to something except for the look of tenderness she shot him before disappearing. When she reappeared, she held out the silver slippers to Artie, who took them with a look of puzzlement on his face. Without having to be asked, DG explained, "They're enchanted. If you tap them three times and tell them where you want to go, they'll take you. I haven't tested their limits, but it's probably better I don't. My adventures have a way of getting me and everyone else into trouble."

"If you don't mind me asking, where did they come from?" Artie inquired carefully.

DG sighed heavily and searched the ceiling before admitting, "They're mine. I did it, and I promise that I won't make it a habit." When DG made the promise, it was aimed more at Wyatt than Artie, and she held his eyes with her last words. Wyatt felt a surge of pride in DG and he didn't seem to care who was present to witness the result when he swept over to her, and pulled her into his arms, embracing her tightly.

DG laughed as Wyatt held her, only stopping when he pulled back just enough to kiss her tenderly. "I'm so proud of you DG," he whispered in her ear, "I love you."

DG met his eyes, her own sparkling before the smile formed on her lips, "It's only fair. You trusted me with the slippers. Now it's my turn."

Artie cleared his throat, interrupting the private moment between Wyatt and DG. As they stepped apart to face Artie, Wyatt reached out and took Artie's hand in a firm shake, "Never know when the Seeker might be needed again, right Artie?"

Artie chuckled while he shook Wyatt's hand, replying, "Of course. You know how to reach me then."

Wyatt nodded, smiling brightly in return. With that, Artie sighed an extracted the brass knob from his bag and struggled momentarily to juggle it and the picture frame. Wyatt took the picture frame from Artie momentarily, enabling Artie to plunge the doorknob into the wall with a swift plunge that surprised DG. Then Artie turned back to Wyatt and took the frame back, saluting the two before he stepped through the door.

Before he closed the door, he called out, "Until we meet again, Your Highnesses. Congratulations, by the way!"

Wyatt and DG watched as the door disappeared, arm in arm. The meeting with Artie had brought closure to both, and they leaned against each other in contentment, slowly moving to sit on the couch. Settled into the couch now, DG laid her legs over Wyatt's and asked suggestively, "Field agents? Do you think we could?"

Wyatt eyed DG suspiciously and growled, "DG, don't even think about it. You're pregnant, remember?"

"Yeah, I know, but I won't be forever. Could we at least think about it before you completely rule it out?" DG pleaded, grasping the lapels of his shirt as she spoke.

Wyatt searched her eyes for a moment before responding. As usual, he found that her beautiful, pained eyes wore him down, and he sighed, "Alright, I guess."

DG was thrilled and squealed happily in return before planting a happy kiss on his lips, eliciting a laugh from him as he pulled her in closer. For now, he knew, the adventure was creating their daughter. He also knew that if DG had her way, they would have more adventures on the horizon, and he had finally accepted them as part of life with DG.